Sports
2024 NFL trade deadline winners, losers: Chiefs, Lions get richer; why did Giants stay put?
The NFL had a flurry of action at this year’s trade deadline, which was Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
A year after 15 deals took place, 19 players changed teams during the 2024 in-season trade window. Wide receivers were in high demand, as were pass rushers, and in many cases, this was a case of the rich getting richer.
Here’s a look at the winners and losers of the trade window.
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Injuries have ravaged the defending Super Bowl champs’ wide receiver unit. So general manager Brett Veach went out and got Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid a new weapon in the form of five-time Pro Bowl/three-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins. It appears as if Hopkins is making a seamless transition from Tennessee to Kansas City. He had eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Monday night’s overtime win over Tampa Bay. And if that weren’t enough, Veach also worked to fortify the Chiefs’ already stout defense by acquiring pass rusher Josh Uche from New England. Veach had to give up only a conditional fifth for Hopkins (the pick could become a fourth-rounder, but that’s worth it for a receiver of his caliber) and sixth for Uche. The only negative for Kansas City: It didn’t land help at defensive back, another area of real need.
Loser: AFC challengers
Rampant injuries appeared to make the Chiefs susceptible to a dethroning by AFC nemeses Baltimore, Buffalo or Cincinnati. They absorbed each blow and still eked out victories to remain undefeated, but there were plenty of questions about sustainability. Now, however, after acquiring reinforcements on both sides of the ball, Kansas City very well could have everything it needs for a historic Super Bowl three-peat. The only saving grace for the Bills and Ravens is that they both met needs by adding wide receiver help as well.
They lost top pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a tibia and fibula injury and their defense still remained disruptive in the three weeks since. It was no secret, though, that the Lions wanted pass rushers to help fill the massive void. Tuesday, they landed one of the top edges on the trade block in Za’Darius Smith, who recorded five sacks, seven quarterback hits and 23 tackles for Cleveland this season. Count Smith as a winner as well. He goes from the Browns, who could suffer double-digit losses this season, to the Lions — legit Super Bowl contenders.
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The Lions remained formidable without a top-level replacement for Hutchinson and STILL earned victories over NFC North challengers Minnesota and Green Bay to improve to 7-1. Now defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn receives additional help to go after Sam Darnold and Jordan Love while the Lions try to add to their division lead.
Winner: Pro Bowl wide receivers
Hopkins, Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and Diontae Johnson all found themselves trapped in disastrous, dead-end situations in Tennessee, Las Vegas, Cleveland and Carolina, respectively. But the football gods smiled upon them, and all four wound up getting traded to better situations. Well, Cooper, Hopkins and Johnson did. It’s debatable whether the Jets are going anywhere, but Adams at least can now catch passes from a friendly face in Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh acquired veteran receiver Mike Williams from the Jets, making him a winner as well. He has never reached the Pro Bowl, but Williams certainly can help the Steelers and escapes New York, where he struggled to connect on the field with Rodgers.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens scored on multiple fronts. First: The Panthers were so desperate, they were willing to part with Johnson for virtually nothing (a late-round pick swap). Johnson, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 with Pittsburgh after recording 1,161 receiving yards, averaged 873 receiving yards per season entering 2024 and should help improve a unit that features Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. Second: The Ravens also got help for their defense by acquiring Tre’Davious White from the Rams. White earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020 but has since battled injuries. The 29-year-old has played in only four games this season but could bring depth to Baltimore’s secondary if he can stay healthy. If not, Baltimore gave up next to nothing (seventh-round pick swap) to get him.
Other teams had interest in pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari, but none of the offers satisfied the Giants enough to pull the trigger on a deal. Ojulari could’ve helped someone else. He has six sacks despite playing behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the Giants could have used the future picks to fortify their weak roster. Instead, Ojulari stays put and New York adds no resources.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
First they got much-needed help at receiver, landing the veteran Williams from the Jets. Then they got a durable pass rusher to line up opposite T.J. Watt by acquiring Preston Smith from Green Bay. The Steelers are working hard to maintain their edge over Baltimore in the AFC North standings.
On one hand, the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore from the Saints helps fill a real position of need. On the other, Washington gave up a third-, fourth- and sixth-round pick for a player who hasn’t played a full season since 2021. But if Lattimore can stay on the field and play at his four-time Pro Bowl level, this move makes Washington better. If his playing time remains sporadic, giving up third- and fourth-round picks (potential core players) will sting a bit. But the Commanders had an extra third-rounder thanks to the Jahan Dotson-to-Philadelphia trade, so they essentially flipped a bust of a first-round pick for a potential No. 1 veteran cornerback. That’s not bad at all.
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Loser: New York Jets
Yes, they got Adams, which makes Rodgers happy. But was it really worth it? A dramatic turnaround appears highly unlikely for the 3-6 Jets, who would’ve done better to unload veterans beyond Williams and get more picks for the future, even if GM Joe Douglas may not be around to use those picks next spring.
(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Azeez Ojulari, Diontae Johnson and Za’Darius Smith: Cooper Neill / Getty Images, Nick Wass /Associated Press and Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Sports
Get ready for more Prime Time. The attention is warranted for Colorado’s star coach
If you’re suffering from Deion Sanders fatigue, worn down by the Colorado football coach’s repeated presence on sports feeds and debate shows, you’re in for a rough couple of months.
By landing a commitment from star recruit Julian Lewis on Thursday, Sanders secured more than a top quarterback prospect. He also came away with increased options for his future, a reality that figures to keep him prominently positioned in upcoming news cycles.
Whatever develops, the attention is warranted based on the impressive job he has done the last five seasons, leading Jackson State to a 27-6 record before guiding Colorado to a share of the Big 12 lead entering Saturday’s game against Kansas.
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Before this week, I would have given competitive odds that Sanders would leave Colorado after this season. Two of his friends told me a handful of years ago his primary reason for accepting the Jackson State job — his first as a college coach — was to ensure Shedeur Sanders, his youngest son, would have every opportunity to develop into a top quarterback and a highly drafted NFL player.
Over four seasons, including the last two with Colorado, Shedeur, 22, has completed 70 percent of his passes for 13,415 yards and 124 touchdowns with just 24 interceptions. He also has rushed for 17 scores, though he is not considered a dual-threat in the classic sense. He is a pocket passer with the mobility to create space and make off-platform throws with accuracy and velocity.
Where that lands him in the draft is unknown, but credible draft analysts have him and Miami’s Cam Ward as the top quarterback prospects. And since teams place a premium on the position — 17 signal callers have been selected No. 1 since 2000 — the likelihood appears strong that he will be drafted near the top of the first round, if not first overall.
Which brings me back to his father’s future and potential options. Deion Sanders could easily consider it mission accomplished and hang up his whistle at the end of the season, particularly with cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, a front-runner to win this season’s Heisman Trophy, already declaring that he, too, is off to the NFL after the season. Losing his top two players represents a significant drain of talent that will be hard for Sanders to replace in the short term, potentially resulting in fewer victories.
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Sanders was a Hall of Fame cornerback and a standout baseball player. You don’t play both sports at the highest level … in the same season … without having a competitive drive that matches your physical ability. Which is why I could not see him staying at Colorado with an inferior roster.
Having Lewis in the fold, however, gives him a bell-cow performer he can not only build around but also use as a magnet to attract more playmakers. Lewis had previously committed to USC but changed his mind in part because of Sanders and the success of Shedeur. It suggests that recruits are seeing past the glitz and glam and recognizing the skill development taking place.
“It’s a huge opportunity!” Lewis said in a statement to On3. “What Coach Prime has been able to build in two seasons can’t be denied. I’ve had a chance to get to know him and believe that he can further develop me into the player and person that I want to be. Coach (Pat) Shurmur has been an NFL offensive coordinator and head coach, so he understands exactly what’s needed at the next level. Coach Prime is going to play the best player, whether it’s a freshman or a walk-on.”
@KingJames Thank u my brother for the support! pic.twitter.com/UD39rXZn6I
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) November 17, 2024
But back to the discussion about the future and potential options. There has been speculation NFL teams could have interest in Sanders, who has had only one losing season in four years and has the 8-2 Buffaloes in contention for a College Football Playoff berth two years after finishing 1-11 the season before Sanders arrived. He has not publicly expressed interest in making the jump and in 2023 told Sports Illustrated: “I don’t have any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL. I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I have a problem with that. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes.”
And yet …
Michael Irvin, a close friend and former Dallas Cowboys teammate, believes Sanders would not hesitate to accept the Cowboys job if it were offered and Shedeur was drafted by Dallas.
“I believe (it) 100 percent,” he said on Fox Sports’ “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “And I can tell you, good sources have told me that. Great sources have told me that. That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.”
These types of comments tend to fuel the rumor mill because as much of a long shot as it may be, you cannot completely dismiss the idea until Cowboys owner Jerry Jones categorically says it’s not happening, which he has not done.
Sanders’ name also could surface for other college jobs, particularly if the Buffaloes reach the Playoff and make a run. He was an unproven commodity in 2021 after he took the Jackson State job. Major colleges were unwilling to take a chance on him because he had no track record. Some wondered if he was more style than substance.
Florida State, his alma mater, is regularly mentioned as a possibility, but that seems unlikely because of what it would cost to move on from coach Mike Norvell and because the sides are not on the greatest of terms after FSU didn’t make much of an effort to bring in Sanders a handful of years ago when he first talked about coaching on the collegiate level.
It would be irresponsible to throw out the names of other schools before an opening exists, but college football has become as cutthroat as the NFL, and landing Sanders could be viewed as a boon not only on the field but off it, as evidenced by the increase in attendance, viewership and alumni contributions. Never forget that major-college football is as much a business as a game, which is why Sanders is in a great position.
He has proved himself on both fronts. He has exceeded expectations at every turn, taking a group that was rated the second-worst staff in the Big 12 coming into the season and advancing to the cusp of a Big 12 championship. The Lewis commitment was yet another victory in a season of victories, but it’s significant because it gives him the ability to make decisions about his future based on whether something aligns with his purpose and vision. If the NFL calls, great. If another college program calls, cool. For Sanders, there is no downside. He has positioned himself to have positive options regardless of the situation, which means we are sure to continue seeing him on news feeds and debate shows.
(Photo of Deion Sanders speaking with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft after a win against Utah: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
Sports
Max Verstappen wins 4th straight F1 world championship as George Russell wins Las Vegas Grand Prix
LAS VEGAS – Saturday night was all right for Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull racer finished in fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and it was enough to capture his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship.
He needed to finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to pick up the title win and did just that. Norris was in sixth place.
It was far from the easiest weekend for Verstappen. Red Bull made a mistake adjusting his rear wing and data showed his vehicle was running slower than Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on the straightaways. While Russell captured the pole, Verstappen was able to get enough out of the car to start in fifth. He only needed to score three more points than Norris to clinch the world championship. Norris qualified sixth.
Mercedes was clearly quicker. Russell won the race. It was his second win of the season. Hamilton finished right behind him while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz picked up a podium spot in third place.
Verstappen tied Sebastian Vettel, Juan Manuel Fangio and Hamilton with four consecutive titles. Michael Schumacher won five straight from 2000 to 2004.
Schumacher and Hamilton each have the most world titles with seven in total. Fangio has five and Verstappen is tied with Vettel and Alain Prost with four.
F1 LEGEND MARIO ANDRETTI TALKS AMERICAN DRIVERS, CONSTRUCTORS GETTING BACK ONTO GRID AHEAD OF LAS VEGAS GP
Las Vegas Grand Prix racers had to battle a weekend of cold weather and the wind. Drivers were slipping and sliding all over the place through the first three practices. But picked up the pace in qualifying with the only mistake coming from Franco Colapinto, who suffered a crash in Q2.
Aside from Pierre Gasly’s disappointing night on Saturday, the race was run clean.
The F1 schedule still has two races on its docket, the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the constructors’ championship up for grabs.
Ferrari drivers Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth, with McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing sixth and seventh.
McLaren entered the weekend 36 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. After the Las Vegas result, McLaren will be up 24 points going into Qatar (608 points to Ferrari’s 584).
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Sports
UCLA vs. USC takeaways: Bruins aim for resilience after fumbling away a signature win
A heavy mist hung over the Rose Bowl late Saturday night, adding to the yuck factor of what just transpired for the home team.
A shanked punt at the worst possible time. A sturdy defense fooled by a trick play. An offense that couldn’t gain one yard given a chance to win the game.
It added up to the most crushing loss of the season.
“Sucks,” UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers said after the Bruins’ 19-13 setback against USC in his final cross-town rivalry game. “Really sucks.”
Garbers was involved in two critical sequences that ensured UCLA (4-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) will finish the season with a losing record.
The first came on a failed fourth-down sneak. The second came when he suddenly couldn’t find a rhythm after completing every previous pass in the second half.
It left Bruins fans with a similarly sickening feeling from previous close losses to Minnesota and Washington.
Here are five takeaways from a defeat that will heavily frame UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s first season:
Bad ending
It was the sort of moment that can forge a legacy.
With a chance to go 2-0 as a starter in the rivalry game while keeping the Victory Bell painted blue, Garbers stepped to the line of scrimmage at his own 25-yard line with 2:09 left and his team needing a touchdown to win.
He had already thrown for 156 yards and a touchdown in the second half while completing all 11 of his passes.
The next four plays: incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, incompletion. A few of the throws weren’t even close to connecting with their targets.
“Just hard to find a rhythm,” Garbers said of his struggles on the final drive.
UCLA’s offense gained 376 yards but couldn’t make plays in crucial moments. The Bruins converted only three of 11 third downs and went 0 for 3 on fourth downs.
The game film should be cataloged in the horror section for anyone associated with UCLA.
The longest yard
Having long expressed his belief in his team’s ability to get a yard, Foster went for it on fourth and one at the UCLA 34-yard line with five minutes left and the Bruins trailing by three points.
It wasn’t the most imaginative play call, Foster saying it was his decision — and not offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s — to run a quarterback sneak.
“I thought it was a good call and every call that’s made in certain situations — I am making those,” Foster said.
Garbers was stopped for no gain, but both Foster and his quarterback said the play was blown dead prematurely.
Said Foster: “That was the first time I’ve seen a quarterback sneak get called dead, you know? They usually let that play roll; they stopped it, they blew the whistle, so who knows where we would have ended up.”
Said Garbers: “I was looking at the marker and I thought I was past it. But I guess they blow the forward progress dead early. So, can’t control that.”
Here’s something indisputable: UCLA will need to fortify its offensive line through the transfer portal to ensure it can pick up one yard in similar situations next season.
Same old story
Nearly every week, Foster has said he’s going to fix his team’s discipline issues.
Then the next game comes and it’s more of the same slop on the field.
The low point Saturday came going into halftime, when UCLA wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, safety Bryan Addison and an unspecified assistant coach were called for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties as both teams made their way toward the locker room while jawing at one another.
Foster said he was told the brouhaha was precipitated by a USC player punching Gilmer, leading him to retaliate. As a result of the penalties, UCLA was forced to kick off from its own five-yard line to start the third quarter.
The Bruins also compounded giving up a 41-yard kickoff return with a late hit by Evan Thomas. It was just one of the eight penalties they committed for 70 yards.
“That’s why that’s my first pillar; I didn’t pull it out of nowhere, it was my first pillar for a reason,” Foster said of discipline. “I felt that that was something that we were lacking and missing and we’re still missing it, so we’re going to just continue to strive in the direction of discipline and eventually it’s going to get fixed.”
Lost opportunity
With a win over the Trojans, Foster wouldn’t have had to do any convincing when it comes to the narrative of his first season.
He would have beaten USC counterpart Lincoln Riley, who has taken multiple teams to the College Football Playoff and makes more than three times his salary.
He would have significantly enhanced his team’s name, image and likeness fundraising efforts that will be critical to upgrading the talent on his roster.
He would have given the hundreds of high school recruits at the game another reason to give a commitment. (Kenneth Moore III, a wide receiver from St. Mary’s High in Stockton, actually did commit to the Bruins before the game.)
Now there’s going to be more spin needed to sell recruits. One possible pitch: Come help us finish these games.
“All of these losses have come to pretty much us letting it slip through our hands,” Foster said. “You know, we gotta find a way to finish games and, you know, just keep coming after half and play better, finish the games. Just really put our stamp on the end of it.”
What now?
Given what happened Saturday, there won’t be much at stake in UCLA’s final game of the season against Fresno State next weekend at the Rose Bowl.
The Bruins will try to send their seniors out as winners while continuing to show resolve. A win over the Bulldogs (6-5) would help UCLA finish the season with four victories in its final six games.
“They kept rebounding this whole season,” Foster said of his players, “so they’re gonna continue to be resilient and continue to be the type of football players that I know that they are.”
A warning for the Bruins: The Bulldogs have won the last four games in the series.
A warning for Foster: Fresno State has been especially hard on new UCLA coaches, beating Chip Kelly, Rick Neuheisel and Karl Dorrell in each of their first years on the job in Westwood.
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